Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Single Shots Uberti 1885 Winchester .303

I saw an ad in Shooting Times for a Uberti 1885 Winchester in .303 British. It was stocked like an English stalking rifle, with ebony fore end tip and a quarter rib for iron sights or scope mounting. Not the real thing, but pretty, in the ad at least. Not priced, but probably a lot less than a real English stalking rifle.

That is a nice looking rifle. I'm not sure about having to manually cock it with a scope in place, and I wonder what it would take to get the trigger down below 5.25 pounds? The Uberti site lists it at $1689.

https://www.uberti-usa.com/1885-courteney-stalking-rifle

ya!

GWB

Comes in .45-70 as well, I see.

Uberti recommends high rings for scope mounting, probably to allow for the hammer. I think I'd buy the plain quarter rib and a set of folding leaf sights for this retro piece, and skip the scope.

A friend just bought one, it's a very nice rifle. 303 ammo can be hard to come by at least around here.

Graf's is out of .303. They are also out of .270 and much else. I guess buying a rifle in any caliber you don't already have ammo for is sort of an investment in future seasons, the way things are now.

Yes, factory ammo is really hard to come. I’m facilitating a deal between two friends of mine for some 7mm magnum ammo now. One no longer deer hunts but has some ammo, the other cannot find ammo anywhere. Luckily I hand load and have components.

I recently bought a Browning Model 78 in 6mm Remington and had JES bore it to 35 Whelen for our “primitive weapons “ season. I was able to find some dies and brass here on the Fire and 200 gr hornadys locally. Now all I need is for the rain to stop and a little time to work up a load.

Look here.

https://www.buffaloarms.com/303-british-ammo-150-grain-sp-amo303brit2.html

Thanks, Ed.

.303 is a decent big game round. One of my uncles bought an Enfield when NATO rearmed to 7.62 in the early 60s, and shot a pile of deer with it. Paid about $13 IIRC. (sigh)

pic of machining breech cut



Uberti 1885 Winchester I bought in 30-30
I put on a Shilen barrel in 257 Roberts Ackley rimmed.
I shot (4) deer with it out to 400 yards.

I also had JESS Rebore a 30/06 Highwall to 35 Whelen for our Primitive Weapon season. I had him do his 5 groove in a 10 twist. Very accurate, I am very pleased with his work

I don’t know if the Uberti trigger is true to the Winchester, but Lee Shaver in Lamar, MO is known as the guru on 1885 triggers. I keep saying I’m going to take my Hornet to him as he is only 30 miles away.

the 303 British wounded more animals in Africa than any other caliber

I dont have the budget for this, but; if I did I think they could have gone with something like 400/450 or 9.3 in addition. I would also like to see some option on the rib. That would be to have the rib removable and be able to swap a classic 3 leaf sight and no scope, no slots. It maybe asking a lot, but; the price is asking a lot from me. I dont like the sights or rib and calling it a stalking rifle does not make it one.

Nothing wrong with 303, but; I got a dozen rifles that cover that ballistic ground. That includes two Lee Enfield which I load for now.

I don't sell them, so this is just FYI. They do make it in .45-70, and you can get a quarter rib without scope slots, with a dovetail for the 3-leaf sights.

I don't need a .303 either, but a man who owns a dozen rifles that cover that ballistic ground surely knows that "need" isn't the point.

I had to confirm that. Yes. Good news. I think or bad news in that I am running out of excuses. I could be happy with a 45/70. I don't need anther 45/70 either, Yes on both counts: "need isn't the point"

The specs say 7 pounds with 24" barrel. That would work very nicely in a 9.3x72. That would address texken's complaint with 285 gr bullets at 3400 ft-lbs.

I just noticed that the well-known custom gunmaker Steven Dodd Hughes has a superficially similar 1885 in .30-40 on his bragging page. He spent 150 shop hours making his version of an English stalking rifle, not counting the barrel work and engraving which were done by others. His is much nicer, and is based on an original 1885, but I am very sure that it would cost a lot more than $1700 to purchase. Several times more. The Uberti is for the man with Rolls Royce taste and Ford purse.

the 303 British wounded more animals in Africa than any other caliber [/quote]

Your point? Other than spouting made up crap. Ever heard of 7.62x39, 577/450, 275/7x57? Care to let us in on the research you did to come up with this pearl?

This is my version of an English stalking rifle, Farquarson style :>)
Cat

What a waste of a great gun.